What Happens When You Have A Forceps Birth

Sometimes your baby needs help during the pushing stage of labour and your obstetrician may use forceps to deliver him

If during labour, your baby’s progress down the birth canal has slowed down or he’s becoming distressed, your midwife may consult an obstetrician about the possibility of doing an assisted delivery. This means he’ll use either a ventouse or forceps to help your baby be born.

Forceps look like large metal salad tongs. They come apart separately, but can click together. They’re designed to fit around your baby’s head and cradle it, not squash it.

Deciding on an assisted delivery

‘Your baby needs to be in good shape for an assisted delivery – this means that he has a strong, healthy heart rate and is not in distress,’ says Christian Barnick, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at The Portland Hospital. ‘You need to be 10cm dilated and your baby’s head needs to be at the opening of the cervix and fully engaged.’

Forceps look like large metal salad tongs

Before the proceduce goes ahead, your obstetrician may first try a ventouse delivery as this causes less internal issues than forceps. If this doesn’t work, your obstetrician will reassess and decide if your baby can take another attempt at an assisted delivery, and move onto forceps.

‘Forceps are often used if the baby needs to be born quickly, as they’re a much faster method of delivery,’ says Christian. ‘However, they can be slightly more painful.’

Your pain relief

If you haven’t already, you will be given some form of pain relief before the forceps are inserted. ‘We’d usually recommend an epidural if this hasn’t already been given, or a pudendal block. This is when anaesthetic is injected into a nerve in your vaginal wall to numb any pain in that area,’ says Christian.

If the birthing team are in a rush to get your baby out, there may not be time for an anaesthetist to administer an epidural, and a pudendal block will be faster.

The forceps delivery

‘The obstetrician will slide in one part of the forceps, then the other, fit them together, and then when you have your next contraction, he’ll ask you to push while he pulls,’ says Christian.

As your baby’s head is crowning, the obstetrician may make a small cut on the skin at the edge of your vagina, called the perineum, which is known as an episiotomy. ‘This isn’t always necessary and may not happen, but does in the majority of cases, as it helps your baby’s head be born,’ says Christian.

When you have your next contraction, he’ll ask you to push while he pulls

After the birth

Throughout the delivery, your obstetrician should be chatting to you explaining what is happening. After the birth, you’ll be stitched up if necessary.

‘Your baby may have red marks on his face from the forceps,’ says Christian. ‘These should disappear after a couple of days.’

Forceps can affect your pelvic floor by damaging the muscles around it, although some of the damage may also be caused by a long labour or large baby (which are often the causes of an assisted delivery in the first place).

However, if your baby needs to be born quickly, they’re often the best option. The delivery method that's best suited to your particular circumstances will be used and this can vary from birth to birth.

When you consider the logistics of birth (how a fully-formed baby get out of so small a space?), it’s no wonder it makes pregnant women everywhere squirm. But labour doesn’t have to be something to be afraid of. Honestly.

While all parents think theirs is the most beautiful baby in the world, few come out rosy-cheeked and gurgling with delight. In fact, they’re more likely to appear squashed, wrinkled and covered in the posh goose fat you use for your Sunday roast. Get ready for her grand entrance with the real facts